


nIce Landing

by doridoripawaa



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: F/M, How Do I Tag, Ice Skating, Romance, Winter, amourshipping, dance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-02-28 22:54:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13281588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doridoripawaa/pseuds/doridoripawaa
Summary: Ice skating is like dancing, right? Why is Serena struggling so much, then? Amour oneshot





	nIce Landing

Slipping. Sliding. Screeching. Stopping.

Unfortunately, Serena was unable to skid to a graceful stop and instead found the ice beneath her feet to be what finally brought her to a halt. She squeaked as she collapsed onto the ice and her behind slammed onto its hard, frozen surface.

“That was so cool!”

If she had heard these words from anyone else, Serena would have expected them to be coated with sarcasm. If she had looked up at anyone else, she would have expected a sneer on the speaker’s face. Instead, she found Ash Ketchum beaming down at her, his eyes twinkling with excitement and his voice dancing with sweet sincerity.

“Even the part when I fell?” she asked, chuckling softly. Hopefully her light-hearted attitude would help mask the embarrassment that laced her tone. Ash extended a hand towards her and she graciously accepted his help in lifting her back to her feet. However, she didn’t have long to feel relieved before she felt her knees growing wobbly beneath her and her feet beginning to slip once more. Ash wasn’t exactly a stable support, either, for his legs were quaking with the effort of holding the two of them up as well. Carefully the two of them shuffled to the wall of the ice rink before either one of them greeted the slippery surface with their bums or their faces.

“Even the part when you fell!” Ash declared with a grin. “I’m just super impressed that you dashed right out onto the ice, even though you told me you haven’t gone ice skating in years!” He sheepishly rubbed beneath his nose with his index finger, as he tended to do when a little flustered. “I’m sorry you fell, but it was a good fall! Loud and proud! I’d give it a 7 out of 10.”

Serena couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Thank you for the official score, Judge Ash!” His optimism never ceased to amaze her. He could turn just about any situation into a positive one, and even add extra joy to already happy moments. With Ash, nothing that happened was ever a waste of time or insignificant; he could learn from every experience. Ever since she had started traveling with him, Serena had tried to adopt that viewpoint too. Such willpower had encouraged her to pursue her dreams with every ounce of passion in her heart, and her life had only improved as a result. “Let’s see if we can make it to round two,” she told him with a wink. Carefully she gripped onto the wall with one hand, and she scooted forward as she tried to acclimate to walking on the thin blades of her skates.

They skated/walked together for a while, gripping onto the supportive ledge to help usher their steps forward, and Serena felt her confidence begin to grow once more. Although she was not quite ready to skate off into the middle of the ice again, she had recovered from the initial embarrassment of her disastrous debut.

Her optimism was short-lived as Ash pushed off the wall and skated around from behind to pass her. He stumbled over to lean on the wall for support once more, but his strides were still longer and smoother than hers. The Kalosian was no longer the same girl who would quit as soon as she grew bored or frustrated with a task, but nonetheless she was irritated by her own ineptitude. Hesitantly she lifted her hand from the ledge, but she felt her legs grow unstable once more and she immediately slapped her hand back down.

Whether he had heard the smack or sensed her growing annoyance, Serena couldn’t be sure, but Ash turned his head to peer over his shoulder at her. “Are you sore from your fall?” he asked.

Hearing the concern in his voice, Serena felt silly for her earlier jealousy. He wasn’t trying to show off; he was just here to enjoy himself, get exercise, and maybe he was even looking forward to spending time with her. He wanted to ensure that they both had a fun experience. “Oh no, I’m okay!” she insisted, waving her hands in front of her face rapidly. With a yelp she soon held onto the ledge again though.

“Don’t be afraid!” Ash told her with a chuckle. He dug his toe into the ice in order to stop his skating, and then he turned 180 degrees around on the wall in order to face her. “You’re the dancer here, right? It’s like dancing… but on ice.” Delicately he reached forward to lift one of her hands and hold it in his own. “You’re coordinated! You’re talented! Just push your feet behind you like you’re gliding, and let the ice carry you away with a woosh!” He let go and then whirled around to demonstrate.

With a… woosh? The trainer wasn’t the most eloquent speaker in the world, that was for certain, but his upbeat personality had a knack for encouraging others. If she was a performer and this was her stage, then she had to dance. When the going gets tough, the tough get going, and she was going to go for broke! “Push,” she whispered, and she winced as her blades scraped against the ice. Curiously though, the sensation didn’t feel uncomfortable, and the sound didn’t grate against her ears. If anything, the motion almost reminded her of sliding across tile or wood in a pair of socks. “It is like dancing,” she murmured, and she felt herself begin to fall into a rhythm as her strides grew lengthier and sleeker. “I’m dancing!” she exclaimed excitedly. “Ice dancing!”

“Great going, Serena!” Ash looked over his shoulder again to give her a thumbs up. “Now let go of the wall! You can do it!”

With a determined nod and a deep breath, Serena continued to skate forward in order to build some momentum. Once she felt enough power behind her strides, the blonde lifted her hands to her chest. She wobbled for a moment and then pushed her arms outward to regain her balance; much to her surprise, she continued to glide rather than come crashing down. “Ah!” Eyes sparkling with excitement, she skated alongside the wall but never reached down to grab it again. Feeling as free as a Fletchling in the sky, she dared to turn her skates away from the wall altogether and skate out towards the open rink. “Ash! Look!” She curved around in a big arc, almost going in a full circle in her ecstasy. She glanced over at Ash, but all she saw was the back of his spiky, raven-haired head. “Ash!” she called again. Finally he must have noticed, because he turned around to see her. He cheered her name and raised his hands to wave at her. Serena threw her arms into the air to wave back.

The next few seconds felt like eternity, passing by in slow motion. Ash’s expression shifted from elation to horror in the blink of an eye. The sudden motion had thrown Serena off-balance, and her legs gave way beneath her. Without any support, her lower body had become gelatinous, and she felt herself going down.

Two warm hands reached for her like lifelines, and she grabbed onto them as swiftly as she could. With all of his strength, Ash tried to pull her up, but the momentum she had built up previously was too strong. A soft yelp escaped Serena’s lips as her rear end reunited with the ice. Ash fell on top of her, narrowly managing to avoid squishing her as he lowered his knees onto the ice. He perched precariously above her, still holding onto her shaking hands.

Given the circumstances, Serena actually did not mind the frigid air that turned her nose and cheeks a deep pink. If she were lucky, Ash wouldn’t notice how flustered she was beneath her already flushed face. She gazed up at him breathlessly for a moment, her mind swirling and her body stinging. He also seemed to be out of breath, panting heavily as he held his head just inches above hers.

“I’d give this landing an 8,” he murmured at last, turning his warm puppy dog eyes on her.

The warmth of their linked hands and hearts surpassed even the bitter cold of winter.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm late but happy Amourshipping Day for 2018~


End file.
